"Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop," said Kenneth Feld, circus owner and CEO of Feld Entertainment.

Along with the loss of its elephants, another factor that played a role in decreased ticket sales is the length of the show. Too long for today's generation?

Feld told the Associated Press that today's children, raised on instant gratification with modern technology, will no longer sit still for a two-hour show.

Feld Entertainment placed its elephants in its Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida, where the company will continue to care for the pachyderms.

As for the show's remaining animals, the company plans to find suitable homes for its lions, tigers, camels, kangaroos, llamas, alpacas, and donkeys.

Animal welfare activists, who have long protested against Ringling Bros., see its closure as a win for animals.

In 2014, Feld Entertainment fought and won a 14-year lawsuit against multiple groups including the Humane Society of the United States, winning $25 million for malicious prosecution over claims the circus abused its elephants.

Reacting to word that the circus will not go on, HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle wrote in his blog, "A tip of the hat to the leadership of Ringling. They’ve been bitter adversaries of The HSUS for decades, but they’ve done the right thing here. It had to be a very difficult decision, given the immense financial and emotional investments they had in this business, but closing the curtain is the right thing to do - in terms of moral and economic thinking."

Many are taking to social media to voice their opinions for and against the circus' closure, including basketball great Shaquille O'Neal.

This year, the marine parks will turn their current performance pools into remodeled natural-looking habitats, with new performances that will focus on orca enrichment and overall health, rather than stunts.

As the company stated, "Times have changed, and we are changing with them."

Ringling Bros. is doing the same, with its final performance scheduled for May 21st in Uniondale, New York.

The closure will also mean that around 400 people will lose their jobs.

Feld Entertainment, meanwhile, is not going away.

The company will try to place some of its circus employees within its other shows - Disney on Ice, Marvel Live, and Monster Jam.